The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for automatically packaging power electronic parts on a power printed circuit board (PPCB). The packaging of the electronic parts on a PPCB involves the use of a plurality of part supply units for holding electronic parts. The electronic parts are picked up from the supply unit and mounted in predetermined locations of the PPCB. For this purpose, the electronic part automatic packaging apparatus incorporates a function to automatically replace the part supply unit.
A conventional automated pick-and-place machine (PPM) for assembling a printed circuit board (PCB) includes several major elements. The PPM machine includes a housing portion for housing a plurality of electronic component dispensing mechanisms, and a packaging portion in which selected component dispensing units are placed and from which components are individually picked by a mounting device and mounted on the PCB in predetermined locations. Each of the component dispensing units is provided with a data storage unit for reading and writing type and quantity information concerning the respective electronic components.
The conventional PPM apparatus further includes a production manager that determines the types and quantities of electronic components needed for production of a variety of PCB and generates a production schedule depending upon the type of board to be assembled. The conventional PPM machine also comprises a control device that controls the operation of the mounting device, read/write device, a transfer device for controlling assembly of the PCB in accordance with the production manager, and a robotic conveying device for controlling the transfer of component dispensing device from a storage unit to the assembly device. See for instance U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,001 that discloses the apparatus for automatically packaging electronic parts on PCB.
A power printing circuit board (PPCB) includes power transistors and/or power integrated circuits (IC). A PPCB also includes a base plate or a heatsink that is attached to the PPCB to provide for the removal of the heat output from a power device. The power printing circuit boards (PPCB) are conventionally assembled using bolts to attach the power devices. However, the usage of bolts involves a manual operation that complicates the operation of a conventional pick-and-place machine (PPM). In the prior art the soldering of he power printing circuit boards is also done manually after the bolting operation is performed.
What is needed is a glue deposit device for automatically inserting at least one spring clamp into a power device and an unconventional pick-and-place machine (UPPM) that includes the glue deposit device for automatically mounting power devices on a PPCB.